U.S. warns Kiir government against interference with aid, UN operations

JUBA — The United States has issued a stern warning to South Sudan’s transitional government led by President Salva Kiir, demanding an immediate end to interference with humanitarian operations and the movement of United Nations peacekeepers, amid growing international concern over deteriorating security conditions and the safety of aid workers.

In a strongly worded statement, the U.S. Department of State said officials at all levels of the transitional government must “cease interfering in the operations of humanitarian assistance providers and regional and international organizations,” singling out restrictions placed on UN peacekeepers as particularly alarming.

“The transitional government’s obstruction of departure as well as in-country movements of UN peacekeepers is a prime example of this behaviour and must stop immediately,” the statement said, warning that such actions undermine efforts to protect civilians and deliver life-saving assistance.

The U.S. warning comes in the wake of the killing of a United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) staff member in Western Bahr el Ghazal State earlier this month. Bol Rhoch Mayol Kuot, a South Sudanese national employed as a language assistant with UNMISS, was forcibly detained by security actors near Wau town on December 15, 2025, before being killed while in custody.

The incident sparked widespread condemnation from the international community and the United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly denounced the killing and urged the government of South Sudan to ensure that those responsible are swiftly identified and held accountable, stressing that attacks against UN personnel constitute serious violations of international law.

In its statement, Washington also urged South Sudan’s regional neighbours and international partners to speak with one voice, warning that renewed large-scale conflict would have devastating consequences not only for South Sudanese civilians but for regional stability as well.

“All South Sudan’s friends and partners… should be united in their messaging – that enough is enough,” the State Department said, calling on South Sudan’s leaders to halt the current violence and restore the trust of both citizens and the international community through concrete actions. It noted that meaningful reforms would be key to attracting renewed international support, investment, and diplomatic engagement.

The remarks were made against the backdrop of mounting criticism over South Sudan’s failure to fully implement the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed more than seven years ago. The United States said the transitional government has failed to uphold power-sharing principles, misused public resources, and neglected basic service delivery, leaving international donors to shoulder much of the burden.

Washington also expressed alarm over the resurgence of violence in several parts of the country, warning that a return to the scale of conflict witnessed in 2013 and 2016 would be catastrophic for civilians and further destabilize an already fragile region.

While the statement reiterated calls for ceasefire compliance, political dialogue, and improved governance, it made clear that interference with humanitarian operations and attacks on UN personnel remain red lines—ones that South Sudan’s leadership must urgently address to avoid deeper international isolation.